Clint Dempsey apologizes for blow to Toronto’s Mark Bloom

There was a moment in the first half of Sounders FC’s home game Saturday that garnered attention leaguewide. It came in the 39th minute, when Seattle’s Clint Dempsey appeared to strike TFC defender Mark Bloom in, well, the groin.

“To be honest with you,” he said. “I felt a hand on my back. I tried to hit it away and thought I was hitting his hand away. I understand that maybe I did catch him a little bit. I apologized to him about that, but for me, all I was trying to do was smack his hand from touching my back.”

Here is some reaction from the Toronto FC side from Bloom and coach Ryan Nelsen, courtesy of Toronto Sun reporter Kurtis Larson: